Damian Pickett · No. 2
Saturday 5 September 2026
F1 qualifies today at Monza ahead of tomorrow’s Italian Grand Prix.
The Financial Times profiled John Ternus, who became Apple’s chief executive this week after Tim Cook’s departure, offering rare insight into how colleagues and partners see the company’s new leader.
OpenAI has begun rolling out GPT-6 Astra, a major model upgrade, to Business and Pro subscribers on its $100 and $200 monthly plans, with wider access to follow.
Andrew Scott plays Ian Charleson, the Chariots of Fire actor who took on Hamlet at the National Theatre while dying of AIDS, in a Telluride premiere critics are calling deeply moving.
Read · Lenny's Newsletter
Three founder archetypes—and how to turn your origin story into a communications strategy
Three founder archetypes and how to turn an origin story into a communications strategy, exactly the storytelling craft Damian applies to product launches.
Listen · Founders
Henry Singleton’s ruthless capital discipline is a sharp lens for thinking about how a new operator like John Ternus might run Apple.
Listen · David Senra
With GPT-6 Astra rolling out today, this conversation with Sam Altman on building OpenAI and betting big feels timely.
Listen · Acquired
Damian studies Disney’s operators closely, and this deep dive on the Walt Disney Company is exactly that kind of story.
Developer Simon Willison tested OpenAI’s new GPT-6 Astra by generating SVGs of pelicans on bicycles at each reasoning level, a quirky but revealing way to compare model quality.
XDOF, a robot data startup, is raising a Series B at a $1.2 billion valuation only three months after leaving stealth, reflecting investor appetite for robotics data infrastructure.
Gemini Spark can now edit and curate photo albums, build shared collections and turn photos into calendar events for Google’s AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.
Nscale, which struck a $45 billion deal with Anthropic, is in talks to raise fresh funding ahead of an expected IPO, a sign of how much capital AI infrastructure now demands.
Adobe has named Anil Chakravarthy as its next president and chief executive, succeeding Shantanu Narayen, who announced his departure earlier this year.
Microsoft has unveiled Project Zenith, a stripped-down Windows interface aimed at developers, though it requires a powerful machine with 64GB of RAM to run.
Nintendo will hold a Zelda-focused Direct on 8 September, followed by a broader one the next day, timed to overlap with Apple’s own hardware event.
US CD revenue jumped 58.6% in the first half of 2026, reversing last year’s decline as interest in retro tech and physical media keeps growing.
Apple holds its September event on Wednesday, unveiling its 2026 iPhone lineup, including the long-rumoured foldable model alongside the standard slab-style phones.
Anthropic’s Claude has become the fifth major AI chatbot to add CarPlay support this week, letting drivers talk to it through their car’s infotainment system.
Apple is designing a privacy-focused home security camera and service for 2027 that uses AI to monitor surroundings, according to a Bloomberg report.
A Bloomberg report details Apple’s roadmap through 2028, including a larger foldable iPhone, beyond next week’s launch of this year’s lineup.
Danny Boyle brought Ink, his drama about Rupert Murdoch’s launch of a British tabloid, to Telluride for its North American premiere after debuting at Venice.
Kate O’Flynn stars in Mike Leigh’s Telluride drama about two London social workers, a film reviewers say could be his last but ranks among his finest.
Adapted from a Colm Toibin novella, Andrew Haigh’s austere 1950s-set drama premiered at Telluride starring Fred Hechinger and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
Judi Dench recalls how postwar stage stars such as Richard Burton and Anthony Hopkins were treated like rock stars, in Kenneth Branagh’s documentary heading to Telluride.
A season preview argues Boston’s offense, built on discipline and margins, could benefit from more improvisation and chaos to complement its structure.
Head coach Michael Carrick discusses United’s transfer window dealings and confirms that Joshua Zirkzee is staying at the club.
Maye and Brown spoke with former Patriot Devin McCourty about their growing on-field relationship as New England prepares to open its title defence against Seattle.
The Hall of Fame has overhauled its election process following the widely criticised handling of eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick’s case.
With week one approaching, expectations are rising for how well general manager Eliot Wolf and coach Mike Vrabel have rebuilt New England’s roster for year two.
The FIA’s Court of Appeal reinstated Pierre Gasly’s pitlane speeding penalties from Monaco, stripping him of his podium and shifting Alpine’s championship standing.
Ferrari brought a second engine upgrade of the season to its home race at Monza, and drivers and engineers are giving their first assessment of its impact.
George Russell beat Charles Leclerc to the fastest time in second practice at Monza, as Mercedes hit back after Ferrari’s early pace on home soil.
Mickey Gasper homered again, extending his hot streak to eight home runs in 16 games, backing a strong outing from Ranger Suarez in Boston’s win over Baltimore.
Garrett Crochet threw off a mound for the first time since his injury, while Tanner Houck and Oviedo continue progressing well toward a return.
A short film follows the multi-step process behind Blackwing pencils, made in factories in Japan and California, a quiet celebration of analog craft in a digital age.
